Who Should Replace Hoda Kotb On ‘Today With Hoda And Jenna’? Our Top Guesses, From Ryan Seacrest To Savannah Guthrie

Daytime television is reeling from the news that Hoda Kotb will be leaving The Today Show and Today With Hoda & Jenna within the next year.

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There was not a dry eye in the studio when Kotb dropped the bombshell on The Today Show Thursday. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said.

This will be a major loss for the network, as Kotb’s exit means Today is losing a host both in the first hour with Savannah Guthrie and in the fourth hour with Jenna Bush Hager .

Kotb is currently set to stay at NBC through the beginning of 2025, and likely will return in some capacity afterwards. But it begs the question: Who could possibly replace her on Today With Hoda & Jenna ?

The co-hosts share an undeniable friendship that has made the fourth hour of Today such a success. And, after seeing the pair cry it out on national television after Kotb’s announcement, it’s difficult to imagine who could possibly emulate Kotb’s sunny disposition on the air.

However, we have some thoughts about who could be filling in for her down the line. Today With Hoda & Jenna has had several contributors over the years, plus there’s a couple of contenders across television who could surely throw their hat in the ring. Here are some of our wild guesses as to who NBC could be looking at to fill the Kotb-shaped hole on Today With Hoda & Jenna .

• Michelle Collins

  

  Comedian Michelle Collins is a total breath of fresh air whenever she visits Today With Hoda & Jenna to update the hosts on recent entertainment news. With her naughty sense of humor and pop culture knowledge, she would surely be a good fit for Bush Hager. The Today host has also hinted that she and Collins are already friends who keep in touch outside of the show, too.

  Collins also has plenty of experience hosting; she was a co-host on The View Season 19 before she was let go when the show pivoted to a more political angle ahead of the 2016 election. But she was known on the show for her personal anecdotes and witty zingers, traits that would help her fit right in on Today .

• Craig Melvin

  

  Ever since Kotb announced her exit, fans on social media have resoundingly been calling for Melvin to step up and take her spot, whether that be on Today beside Guthrie or next to Bush Hager. Melvin is notably one of the few Today anchors who hasn’t recently filled in on the fourth hour of today.

  Melvin first became a news anchor on Today in 2018. He also co-anchors the third hour of Today with Al Roker , Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones .

• Laura Jarrett

  

  Laura Jarrett is a rather new face to Today , but a welcome one. She joined NBC in 2022 as a senior legal correspondent before she was later tapped to co-anchor Saturday TODAY in 2023.

  Jarrett has filled in for Bush Hager on Today With Hoda & Jenna a few times since joining NBC. When she co-hosted alongside Kotb earlier this year, the pair got along well as Kotb dished on a date she recently went on and challenged Jarrett to a game of Never Have I Ever. Jarrett could definitely keep up with the show’s upbeat energy. And if Kotb loves her, Bush Hager certainly will, too.

• Ryan Seacrest

  

  There’s no telling that Ryan Seacrest is actually in the running for Kotb’s spot on Today , but we’d be remiss not to suggest the ubiquitous television personality.

  Seacrest is certainly booked and busy. He’s currently hosting Wheel of Fortune and American Idol . But he also stepped away from Live With Kelly and Ryan in 2023, which means he may have some time in his schedule for another gig on Today With Hoda & Jenna . Seacrest is well-versed in keeping it PG for daytime television, and he seems like someone Bush Hager would get along with well.

• Sheinelle Jones

  

  Sheinelle Jones is another Today anchor who has done a great job filling in on Today with Hoda & Jenna this past year. During one particular episode, Kotb revealed to her that she had recently gone skinny dipping with her friends – a confession that notably surprised Jones.

  But Jones has become a staple on Today and could transition well to hosting the fourth hour with Bush Hager. She first joined NBC in 2014 at Weekend Today before she later became a co-anchor on the third hour. At one point during her career, Jones was working six days a week between both jobs. She later left Weekend Today in 2019 to focus more on her family, per Today.com .

• Andy Cohen

  

  One person we would love to see more of on daytime television is Andy Cohen ! Cohen is already part of the NBCUniversal family with his spot on Bravo, where he hosts Watch What Happens Live . But Cohen is always a welcome presence whenever he appears on Today and decides to dial back his late-night sense of humor for the daytime crowd.

  Plus, it looks like Cohen is on the market for another gig. He recently admitted that he was “ so jealous ” that Seacrest was hired to host Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak ‘s retirement.

• Justin Sylvester

  

  E! News host Justin Sylvester currently serves as an entertainment correspondent on Today With Hoda & Jenna where he clues Kotb and Bush Hager into the biggest pop culture news of the week. Sylvester’s offbeat personality and wittiness always keep the Today hosts on their toes, and you can tell that they both enjoy working with him. Sylvester has also proven to be such a strong host that he’s even filled in for Kotb and Bush Hager a couple of times over the years.

  During a recent chat on the show, Sylvester clued Kotb in to the best place to pick up single men : The TSA PreCheck line.

  “If you get a man in TSA PreCheck, that means that man has been vetted by the government and he can walk through,” he explained as Kotb laughed. “And if you really want to find a good man… you go to the Delta Sky Lounge, because it’s so hard to get into that thing!”

• Savannah Guthrie

  

  Who better to replace Kotb on Today With Hoda & Jenna than her other bestie, Savannah Guthrie? While Bush Hager has joked that she feels jealous of Kotb and Guthrie’s friendship, the trio remain good friends both on and off camera.

  Guthrie already has quite a bit on her plate but it is possible that she could be in the running to take Kotb’s spot on Today With Hoda & Jenna . She currently co-anchors Today with Kotb (making them the show’s first female anchoring duo) and serves as the network’s primary anchor for election coverage. She is also the chief legal correspondent on NBC News.

It will be a sad day when Kotb finally steps down from Today With Hoda & Jenna . But Bush Hager did a remarkable job filling Kathie Lee Gifford ‘s shoes in 2019. We’re sure NBC will be able to find a fitting host to join her on the fourth hour of Today in 2025 when the time comes.

Today with Hoda & Jenna airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.

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